Queen of the Elven City- Yes, the fight gives plenty of reason for him to be angst-ridden, doesn't it? Good news, there will be even more that will cause him to be angst-ridden in the future.

Samsonlove- We both hope that Scott won't be going anywhere, at least on some level… but while hope may spring eternal, reality does not. I loved the Carly and Reese fight, that was some good stuff. Not as good as the Carly and Sam fight, which reminded me of Dynasty, but it was still quite good. Maybe one of the reasons why Carly and Maxie don't care for another is because they remind each other of the other, but only the worst qualities.

Story-

Quartermaine Mansion, Interior-

Although it had taken her a good five minutes to actually get inside the house, Lois had indeed gotten inside the mansion. Everything looked so pretty and perfect, but she knew that it was just the outward appearance that the mansion gave off to people who didn't know any better. Those who knew what it was like to be inside the mansion knew just how oppressive it really could be. That the whole thing with it looking like it belonged in some old movie was just a face that was placed upon it to make it look more appealing. Even when there were guests in the mansion they would be swept up in the majesty. But the minute that the guests left, the second that the doors were closed everything was shattered once more, brought down by the fact of life.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you inside, Lois?" Max asked. He'd never been inside the Quartermaine mansion before, and never thought that he would actually go inside during his entire life. Jason had spoken of it a few times, and he had learned a few things about it from Dillon. Max, like most people who were virgins to the ways of the Quartermaine's, was far too busy being taken aback by the splendor that fooled so many people. It was like Wayne Manor. All it needed was some sort of person acting as Alfred. And a cave. But what were the odds of the mansion not having some sort of cave? It would explain a lot about the Quartermaine's.

"If you hear me screaming for help, just come on in… and I'll come get you when I need you otherwise. Thank you for the support, Max, I just need… I need to do this one alone. These are my demons to confront, let me do it my way."

"I'll be standing right by the door if you need me."

Lois nodded and turned around, heading into the main part of the house. When she heard Max shut the door she also felt a cold chill run down her spine, as if she knew that she really was alone. She didn't have anyone that would be able to come and save her. Before she would have depended on Ned to do that for her, but that person, the person that Ned used to be, was completely gone. And while she had once hoped for him to come back she knew that it wouldn't happen. The person that she loved had been killed by the spirit of the Quartermaine's, and it wasn't the first time it happened. Far from it. She just wished that it never happened, wished that Ned would have had the strength to avoid becoming just another person that was brought down by the family. Lois believed that he could have been such a person, she really did. But that was her own foolish optimism getting in her way and tricking her into some false sense of security.

The sound of her shoes hitting the ground echoed through the otherwise silent halls. On one level it should have made her comfortable. It was, after all, not very often that the Quartermaine's had some semblance of quiet in their lives. But that was a double edged sword, because it was like the calm before the storm. The eye of the hurricane. And she was stepping right into it without any help at all, just the foresight that something was going to happen. Something that probably wasn't going to go over very well. It wasn't going to stop her. What she needed to do was necessary. Lois needed to make a stand for her own sanity. She needed to show people that she wasn't going to be pushed around by the money that the family threw in her face. She had her own money, and maybe it wasn't a lot of money, it wasn't enough money to buy everything that a person could ever want, but it was enough to keep her happy.

Lois remembered how she grew up, in the old neighborhood, with Sonny and all their other friends. She was a strong girl back then, able to stand up to even the toughest people that would try and get in her face. Absolutely fearless, without any regrets. What had happened to that little girl? The one that could face any problem without a care in the world? Why did she have to change so much, why did she have to acquire such a weakness? Sonny never did. He was still the same person that he was when he was a boy, albeit stronger and more sure of himself than he ever was before. Her best friend was a role model for Lois to follow, and she would eventually find a way to become like Sonny, in her own way.

"No, I don't care about the other people's schedules right now! This is the first hospital board meeting of the year, it is imperative that everyone who is on the board attend. The only people who can't make it are the ones who are in the hospital, or have died! You listen to me… find a way to get them to the meeting in a few days. I don't care what you have to do! This was very important to my mother and I'm going to be damned if I let the whole thing fall apart under my watch! Make it happen!" Tracy slammed the phone back on the receiver and then took a drink from the cup of water that she had placed next to it. Lila made everything look so easy. Even after she had ended up in that wheelchair she still had a fire in her eyes that wouldn't be dominated by anyone. Tracy wasn't a quarter of the woman that her mother was, and she understood that. How could she not? People were constantly telling her such things, every chance that they got. And, even when they didn't say it with their words they said it with their eyes. Their damming eyes that seemed to wonder why it had happened. Why Lila Quartermaine could have had a child that was so sick and twisted.

Lois felt another cold chill run down her spine. Tracy was horrible to confront, even when she was in a good mood. But when she was upset there was no stopping the things that she would say. Tracy was the woman that brought everything down. Tracy had warped Ned so much, even when she wasn't around, that it was just impossible to break the hold that he was under. That knowledge was enough to give Lois the spark of courage that she needed in order to do what she was going to do. "Tracy…"

The woman quickly turned around upon hearing her name. "What are you doing here? I thought you were busy staying at our hotel on your best friend's blood money."

"I was staying at the hotel, and Sonny did pay for it, from the money that he gets importing coffee around the world. Do you want me to get you a bag? I'm sure that you have some in the kitchen. Monica loves her son's coffee."

"We all know that the coffee business is just a front for Sonny and Jason to make it look like they're not cold blooded killers. I know better, Lois…"

"Then I guess your son doesn't, since he's busy being buddy-buddy with those two cold blooded killers."

"I don't need to be reminded of the mistakes that my child is making, thank you very much," Tracy glared at Lois. Lois knew that mentioning the fact that Dillon had fallen from the grace that Tracy had attempted to set up for her baby was going to rub the woman in the wrong way. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Ned."

"He isn't here right now. He's busy doing something that requires he talk to someone who is worth the time. And you, my dear, were never worth his time, even when you two were busy with that sham of a marriage."

"You're wrong, Tracy. Ned loved me once. He loved me more than he'll ever love any other person in the world, and I loved him in the same way… but that's behind us now. And we both need to accept that."

"I've already accepted it," Ned said from behind her. "Lois… I'm sorry…"

"I know you are, and I accept your apology. What we said that night… that was just our anger talking. We were upset with each other, and we always make it a point to attack one another in the worst possible way when we're mad with one another. We've always been like that. Always."

"Can we try again?"

Lois looked into his eyes, they were sincere. She knew that he wanted to give it another try, and that he would probably try and make it last. But she also knew that no matter how hard Ned tried he would never really be able to give her what she wanted. She wanted a man who wasn't tied down by his connections to his family. She wanted someone who loved his family, which Ned did, but they had him on a leash. Lois just couldn't have that again. "I'm sorry, Ned. I really am… but we can't try again."

Ned turned his eyes up and looked at his mother. "If you did something to make this happen, I swear I will hate you for the rest of your life…"

Tracy shrugged, "Don't look at me. I didn't have anything to do with the girl's decision, unless my prayers have been answered…"

"You don't know how to pray, mother…"

Lois touched Ned's hand softly, "Your mother didn't have anything to do with this, Ned. Honestly. The choice that I'm making is my choice and my choice alone. I don't want to be with you ever again, because I know that something will just happen that will send us apart. I love what we had all those years ago too much to ruin it, and I love our daughter too much to get her hopes up for nothing."

"Brook doesn't…"

Lois shook her head, "I was stupid to believe that staying in this house was not going to give her ideas, because I should have known that she would have believed that there was a chance, however small, that something good could have come out of it. She's a teenager. More than that she's a human being, and she would always want us to get back together, no matter how old she was. By doing what we did we threw the possibility in her face… only to yank it away. That's not what good parents should do."

"What do good parents do then?"

"Good parents admit that they care about each other, and they always will, but the feelings that they have aren't strong enough to make a relationship again. That's what we have. No matter how much you anger me, Ned, no matter how many hurtful things you say to me, I'm always going to love you for what you meant to me once upon a time. I can't help it. You're responsible for giving me my daughter, and I will always owe you for that."

"Lois, please…"

She once more shook her head, "You're only going to make this harder for both of us." The tears were beginning to form in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall, refused to let Tracy see her tears. "Don't make this harder…"

"What are you going to do?" Ned asked, knowing that the battle which was being fought was not one that he could win. He had lost any chance of winning the fight already, and there was nothing he could do to change that.

"I'm moving out."

"Hallelujah!" Tracy threw her hands up in the air.

"Mother!" Ned scorned Tracy. "You should just leave."

"And miss one of the happiest moments of my existence? Never."

Ned moved over to her and grabbed her wrist. Not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to make his intentions obvious, "I said leave." His warning given, Ned released his hold on Tracy's wrist.

"Fine…"

When the two were alone, Lois spoke again. "I have enough money to rent a house here in town, and I'm going to start looking around for a job. Nothing too big, just something to make a little cash. I'll have a room for Brook, too."

"So… you're taking her again?"

Lois sighed, "I wouldn't do that. I still stand by my decision that I made when I came here. Brook has been away from your family for too long. I realize that they're odd, but in their own way they love her. I know that you love her, I can see that. I won't take that away again. I'm going to tell her what's going on, and I'm going to give her the choice. No strings. She can stay here if she wants, or she can come with me."

"No strings…"

"That means that you can't influence her either, Ned. You or any other members of the family. Brook has a mind of her own, let her make up that mind for herself. Promise me…"

"I promise."

"Thank you." Lois gave a sad smile. After all, a part of her life had just ended, and it wasn't going to come back anytime soon. But it was her choice to make, and she had made it. She stood by her decision.

Port Charles-

Where was she? She didn't even know anymore. All she knew was that she hadn't left town, even though a part of her wished that she did. Port Charles no longer made sense. Everything seemed to be crumbling down around her, and she didn't know how she was going to stop it.

The tears had fallen from her face for what seemed to be an eternity. She knew how much rage she had towards her mother for keeping the secret from her even when she asked. Carly had requested something so simple from Bobbie and she couldn't get it. Bobbie lied to her, over and over again, about who her father was. She knew the whole time, Bobbie knew everything… and she didn't say a single word.

Carly got up from the bench where she had been sitting and decided to get some help. When her world was falling apart there was only one person who she could always turn to. The person who had never lied to her before. The one who was always there for her, no matter what.